Do Not Go Beyond God's Revelation About Jesus

We are discussing the very difficult chapter 7 of Hebrews. Our focus during the past two postings has been upon the writer's comparison of King Melchizedek to Christ.

He (Melchizedek) is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever. - Hebrews 7:3 ESV (cf. Gen. 14:18-20)

Melchizedek is not a descendant or child of Abraham. Yet he receives "a tenth of the spoils" from Abraham (Hebrews 7:4). In a sense, you might say that the priestly clan of Levi and his sons were present when Abraham gave Melchizedek those tithes. They were, after all, descendants of Abraham inasmuch as they were one of the 12 tribes descended from Abraham's grandson Israel (Jacob). Consequently it is also proper to say that the priests (Levites) were inferior in rank to Melchizedek since they paid tithes through Abraham (Hebrews 7:6-10).

One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him. - Hbr 7:9-10 ESV 

It follows then that Melchizedek who was both priest and king is superior in rank to Levi. This is why Christ is correctly compared to Melchizedek. Christ is also both priest and king, but descended from the tribe of Judah, a tribe about which Moses said nothing having to do with priests. So in King David's words,

The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." - Psa 110:4 ESV

Now if you have hung with me this far—and with this letter to the Hebrews—you know that we must settle the question of Jesus' humanity. We've already recognized that He is and was the holy Son of God from all eternity, begotten (not created) before all created things. By Him and from Him all things were created.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. - Jhn 1:1-3 ESV

But He is also true Man, born of the Virgin Mary.  He must be fully and completely human (descended from Adam) if He is to stand under God's judgment upon Adam and his progeny.

For as in Adam all die . . . - 1Cr 15:22 ESV 

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned-- - Rom 5:12 ESV

So the huge and seemingly impossible challenge: how can the Christ who is the holy Son of God from all eternity be also the Son of Man who will die our death and not inherit the sinful nature of His human father Adam?

Answer: the Virgin Birth !

And here is where where some attempt to explain Jesus' ancestry by resorting to our current understanding of the creation of a human. They speak about cell mitosis and meiosis, the 23 pairs of chromosomes that are needed for new human life, the development of human blood, etc. They go on to explain that Jesus inherited Adam's nature, but not his sinfulness. This, they say, is because

. . . the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. - Lev 17:11 NIV

But that single Bible verse does not speak about Adam's sinful nature. Any attempt to make it say that is an example of reading things into a text.  I am very leery of this sort of thing and you should be as well, because such a use of God's Word goes far beyond what the Word has revealed about the mystery of the Incarnation. The Apostle teaches us humility as he writes,

Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. - 1Ti 3:16 NIV

The primary points to be remembered:

• In Christ God has appeared in human flesh
• Christ's incarnation was accomplished through the Virgin Mary
• Whether Mary remained a Virgin is an open question, despite the view of the Roman Catholic church and others that she remained a Virgin even in giving birth to Jesus
• Jesus was of Adam's race according to the flesh (see especially his lineage in Luke 3:23-38 and Matt. 1:1-17)
• Though Jesus was born of the "Seed of David according to the flesh" (Rom. 1:3), he did not inherit Adam's sinful nature

Beyond this we must not go. You may harbor private opinions and conclusions, but we must not attempt to make God reveal details about Jesus' birth that He has chosen to keep to Himself. Questions of when Jesus' human spirit or soul were created will also remain a mystery that is not revealed. The question about when or how any human soul is created is another question that has long been argued and tossed about. I'm not going to open it up here either. 

For now let us concentrate upon the primary facts lifted up by Hebrews 7. Jesus is our permanent and eternal priest. He is holy, blameless and pure, exalted above the heavens. He sacrificed Himself for our sins, once for all mankind. It is finished.We have a Great High Priest who pleads for all of us sinners before the judgment throne of God. In Him we are forgiven and secure. To Him be all glory. 

More on this as we go further into this wondrous letter. 

How Can Christ Be Both God And Man?

"You've changed," my wife said to me. "You used to be . . . " She then went on to describe how my views of people and of life are different now than they used to be. And yet I am still the same person—or do I just think I am? I suppose it depends partly on what I mean by the term person. Has my person changed? Do I have a different person-ality than I did 20,30, even 40 years ago? We do believe people can and do change, do we not?

I speak about this in order to introduce the many, many ways people have thought about Jesus over the years. No one denies that he lived in the first century of what is called the Christian—or some say common—era (CE). No one denies that he has had universal influence. But who is he? Or, as some say, who was he? Here's a partial list of what people have decided about Jesus. I'll skip the fancy Greek or Latin terms applied to the various items listed.

• the promised Messiah, but only a man
• one of the great prophets, but only a man
• God, but appearing to be human
• an ordinary man, son of Mary and Joseph, adopted by God as His Son at Jesus' baptism
• a holy man reincarnated as all are across the ages
• truly a man, but also a god created by the heavenly Father in the beginning of all things
• one person to be sure, but a person with both human and divine natures
• God who merely used a human body like a garment—not really a human
• God with one person, one substance, one nature
• truly a man with a human nature and truly God with divine subsistence or nature

Confused yet? What do you believe about Jesus? Who is he? Who is he to you? Is he but one of the many holy people to whom you may pray? Is he one of the many gods created by the one true God? You and I really need to get this straight, because our eternal destiny depends upon it—or at least that's what most Christians insist. Which point in the list above is the one you chose? Or do you feel I'm nit-picking and trying to confuse you? Let's take a look at but a couple Bible verses.

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. - Isa. 7:10-13 ESV

Notice that the virgin is to conceive and bear a son. Except that the child was to be conceived by a virgin, he was to be born in the normal manner. He was to be a man child, a human. However, the prophecy tells us that his name is to be Immanuel, a Hebrew name meaning El (God) immanu (with us). The virgin gave birth to "God with us".  This same note is picked up by the Apostle Paul. 

For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. Rom. 9:3-5 ESV

Jesus' human nature is described according to his ancestry. He is a Jew and the promised Messiah of the Jews, descended from the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And yet he is "God over all, blessed forever." Here in Romans Paul openly declares Jesus to be God. Paul ascribes divinity to Jesus again in his letter to Corinthian believers. 

None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Cor. 2:8 ESV

The man Jesus was put on the cross. He suffered a horrible death there and was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. And yet Paul gives him a divine or godly title, "The Lord of glory"! In this manner he makes it clear that Christ's true divinity and his true humanity did not change even a little during his suffering and crucifixion. And he emphasizes the same thing in his talk to the elders or pastors at Miletus.

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. Acts 20:28 ESV

Their congregations are part of the "church of God"! and yet God obtained the church with his own blood. Blood is a human thing. Jesus was truly human and yet Paul openly declares him to be God! Thus the blood is God's blood. Jesus is truly God and truly man. This is why it is perfectly biblical and accurate to say that "God died" upon the cross.

God's Word reveals Christ as fully and completely Man and fully and completely God. Great indeed is the revealed mystery here, a mystery that we cling to in faith, because we believe that Christ, true man and true God, died for us and thus set us free from all condemnation.

More on this next time.